The present invention relates to a tool and method of using the same for splaying a wet, textured topping compound applied to a surface, such as a ceiling or the like, to impart a knock-down relief or soft-texture pattern thereto.
The finishing of ceilings in newly constructed or remodeled residential or commercial buildings typically involves a stippling process which imparts a texture thereto in lieu of a smooth, plastered finish. In addition to improving the aesthetic appeal of the room, the application of a textured finish decreases the labor required to finish the ceiling as concealing minor surface imperfections.
During the construction of drywall-type ceilings, adjacent drywall sheets are hung on the ceiling joists in an abutting contact which forms discontinuous joints between the drywall sheets. Where a finished surface is desired, the joints are filled with plaster or a latex-based joint compound, and then covered with a paper tape for a more continuous seam. The seams are smoothed with a trowel or the like to give the appearance of a continuous ceiling surface.
Once the joint compound has dried, a finishing coat of a topping compound may be applied to give the ceiling the noted textured finish. The topping compound is applied wet onto the ceiling with a high nap roller. Before the compound is allowed to dry or set completely, a textured or stippled finish may be imparted thereto with a brush. The brush is brought into and out of adjacency with the ceiling such that the bristles of the brush are contacted with and withdrawn from the wet topping compound. The withdrawal of the bristles from contact with the topping compound imparts a textured pattern of peaks or asperities thereto. By repeating the described steps, a repetitive pattern may be effected across the entire surface of the ceiling.
To a large extent, the exact pattern imparted into the topping compound is determined by the length, angle and density of the bristle population of the brush, and by the viscosity of the topping compound. Stippling brushes and methods for using the same are more fully described in the present inventor's commonly owned co-pending applications U.S. Ser. No. 08/233,355, filed Apr. 26, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,419, and U.S. Ser. No. 07/947,772, filed Sep. 18, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,434, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, a textured pattern may be imparted to the ceiling by applying the topping compound with a spray machine or the like.
Recently, aesthetic concerns and market preferences have dictated ceiling texture patterns wherein the peaks or asperities left in the topping compound by the stipple brush or the spray machine are splayed, smoothed, or otherwise knocked-down to effect a more flattened relief. To knock-down the surface peaks, a trowel, knife, or other blade is dragged across the stippled ceiling surface before the topping compound is dried or set. The contacting of the compound with the blade both flattens and widens the peaks to impart a smoother, more embossed or relief-like pattern into the ceiling surface. Such a pattern often is seen as more desirable than the rougher, stippled pattern left by the stippling brush.
Heretofore, the methods employed to effect the knocking-down of textured ceilings involved the use of relatively rigid blades or trowels formed of metal, fiberglass, or plastic. The use of such blades, however, has been known to produce inconsistent knock-down patterns in the ceiling surface. In particular, it has been observed that the blades leave edge lines in the topping compound, and are unable to accommodate for imperfections or curvatures in the ceiling surface. Moreover, such blades often remove rather than splay the topping compound, which removal both excessively smoothes the texture of the compound and trails material on the blade which then may be randomly spread across the ceiling surface.
As an alternative to the rigid blades or trowels typically employed, some drywall finishers have resorted to using weather stripping moldings which are designed to be mounted around the frames of garage doors. Such moldings involve a wood member into which is inserted a flexible rubber seal. The wood member is grasped by the finisher, and the rubber seal is dragged across the ceiling surface in an attempt to produce a consistent knock-down pattern. It has been observed, however, that the rubber seal often flaps or chatters during knock-down, creating waves of imperfections in the topping compound. The molding also is known to be rather flimsy and unwieldy, making efficient work difficult.
The inconsistent knock-down patterns produced with the tools and methods heretofore known are often less than desirable, and frequently are a source of customer complaint. Indeed, the removal of dried topping compound having inconsistent patterns is time consuming and generally represents an expense which must be borne by the drywall contractor. Thus, it is apparent that improvements in the knocking-down of ceiling textures would be well-received by the industry, and would represent an important advancement to the drywall finishing arts.